Movers & Makers Newsletter: February 2025
Conexus Indiana
The driving force in making Indiana a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics.
Conexus Indiana announces its strategic plan, Conexus 2031: Empowering Bold Industry Transformation
Conexus Indiana is excited to announce the release of its new strategic plan, Conexus 2031: Empowering Bold Industry Transformation. This document outlines plans to tackle key challenges and capitalize on opportunities within Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, which are vital to the state’s health.
Based on various research findings and insights from industry leaders, Conexus drafted the strategic plan to focus its energies and resources in four areas:
Chairman of the Conexus Board, Scott Brand says “The challenges that these industries face—particularly around workforce availability—cannot be solved by one organization alone. It is only through collective action, with Conexus well positioned to lead the way, that we can create a meaningful impact.”
Conexus Indiana welcomes PJ McGrew to lead industry talent work
Welcome to the Conexus Indiana team, PJ McGrew, who joins us as our Senior Vice President of Talent Strategy and Programming!
In this role, PJ will lead all Conexus programs designed to create a motivated and prepared workforce pipeline for the advanced manufacturing and logistics industries. He also will play a significant role in supporting the development of work-based learning programs including the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway.
PJ brings nearly a decade of state government experience, including serving as the inaugural executive director of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, where he gained national recognition for his efforts to bridge the education-to-workforce pipeline. His career also includes ten years as a high school teacher in diverse educational settings.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Conexus awards $110,000 to support 11 Indiana schools
To close out 2024, we announced that 11 Indiana schools have been awarded $10,000 each in sponsorships as part of the Conexus Student Industries program, a statewide network of high schools developing advanced manufacturing and logistics talent through School-based Enterprises (SBEs).
Congratulations to the schools that received grant funding:
The funding from these awards will help support the purchase of equipment, materials and marketing materials, as well as fund wages for students during operations in the summer.
Hoosier Crane utilizes Manufacturing Readiness Grants funding to accelerate innovation
“To be able to free up some of those smaller tasks with a robot allows us to look toward more complex projects and better use those skills in the workforce. They look at the robot as 'just another member of the team' — an apprentice." - Kaitlyn Miller, Director of Operations at Hoosier Crane Service Company
Elkhart County crane parts manufacturer and repair specialists, Hoosier Crane, implemented automation features in its expanded facility to keep up with customer needs and accelerate innovation with the help of Manufacturing Readiness Grants funding through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
In the News: Manufacturing Readiness Grants making big impact on South Bend-Elkhart region
Inside Indiana Business published a feature on the South Bend-Elkhart region and the significant impact the advanced manufacturing and logistics industries have had in the area. In the article, our own Mitch Landess, Vice President of Innovation and Digital Transformation, talks about the region’s rich manufacturing background, local Manufacturing Readiness Grants successes and much more.